Bottle washer



Oct. 22, 1940. J. R. DOSTAL BOTTLE WASHER Filed July :5, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l m QEMW Qf w *n KNQ *lnventur' J.R.DIZIE|'bBl Flttmfnzg:

Oct. 22-, 1940.

J. R. DOSTAL BOTTLE wksmm 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WQZQ Filed July 3, 1940" Oct. 22, 1940. J. R; DOSTAL 2,219,007

' BOTTLE WASHER Filed July 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet s Invent m1" JIRI] c1 staI Fltinrnegs Patented Oct. 22, 1940 1 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July, 3, 1940, Serial No. 343,790

1 Claim.

This invention pertains to bottle washers, and more particularly to machines of the ,soaker type in which the bottles are carried through a submersion tank containing a hot caustic solution for soaking and removing the labels, and is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 301,407, filed October 26, 1939.

In machines of the foregoing type, the labels eventually settle uponv the bottom of the soaking 0 tank, which is of substantial length, thus making removaland disposition of the labels a difiicult and awkward. operation, with the result that the tanks are not cleaned as frequently as they should be, and, therefore, the cleaning fluid soon becomes contaminated. Under ordinary conditions, this cleaning is rendered difiicult, due to the fact that the bottles are forcibly sprayed with a hot caustic solution from rows of jets, and this forms a mist in the cas ng. As soon as the casing is open, this mist enters and fills the bottle-washing room. The' present invention has primarily for its object to overcome the foregoing difiiculty by the provision of simple, inexpensive, and eflicient means for the collection and removal of labels from bottle washers of the soaker type. Incidenta to the foregoing, a morespeclflc ob ject of the invention resides in the provision of a traveling scraper for the bottom of the soaking tank, the same being manually reciprocated by means positioned exteriorly of the tank, to deliver labels from the tank bottom to removable receptacles positioned at opposite ends of the tank.

A still further object resides in the provision of' a traveling scraper or squeegee, recipro'catively guidedover the bottom of the soaking tank, and actuated by cables'or similar flexible connections, wound over drums positionedat opposite ends of the tank, and operable'ex'teriorly of the same, in

combination with removable receiving receptacles or baskets positioned adjacent the ends of the tank below the level of the tank floor, with means for permitting the expeditious removal of the baskets from the tank or casing of the ma- 4!! chine. v

With the. above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention resides in the novel construction, com-x bination, and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined bythe appended claim, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated one complete example of' the physical embodiment of the present invention constructed according to the. best mode so far devised for the a practical application of the principles thereof.

- ,In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection of a bottle Washer equipped with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan'section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2. Y

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2. I

, Figure 6 is a detail section taken on the line 5-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective view ofone of the removable baskets.

Figure 8 is a detail, transverse, sectional view taken on the line 8--8 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral I designates generally the casing of a soaker-type bottle washer, provided with a soaking compartment or tank 2 in its lower portion, through which a conveyor 3 carries the bottles B for retarded soaking, both interiorly and exteriorly, the latter serving to release the labels from the bottles. allowing the same to subsequently settle upon the tank bottom 4.

The tank or soaking compartment 2 is filled with a causticsolution up to the liquid line, indicated and marked in Figure 1. As the bottles are carried through thecasing I, th same are subjected to sprays of hot caustic solution from jets 30 and 3|, and this spray forms a complete mist in the casing. To prevent the escape of the mist into the bottle-washing room, the casing is sealed at the most essential points, and, hence, the casing includes a top wall 32, which is interrupted at the bottle-loading and -unloading stations. At thebottle-loading and -unloading stations, the top wall32 carries depending slotted rubber sealing aprons 33, which extend from one side wall 34 of the casing to the other. Pivoted doors 35 and 36 are arranged at theends of the casing for closing openings 31 formed in the top of the casing. The purpose of these doors and openings will appear later as the description proceeds.

.As set forth in the objects of the invention, it will be understood that the soaking tank or compartment 2 is of considerable length, which has heretofore presented serious difliculty in removing and disposing of the labels, it being necessary to shut down the machine and drain the soaking compartment, so that access could be had to remove the labels with manually operated rakes or scrapers. Due to the tedious and awkward nature of this operation, the common tendency has been to delay removal of the labels from the tank as long as possible, with the result that the soaking water soon becomes unduly contaminated, interfering with the proper cleansing of the bottles. To overcome this, the present invention provides a reciprocative scraper 5, comprising a carrier frame 6. including a transverse blade I, and longitudinal side ribs 8, which extend between parallel, longitudinal angle irons 9 secured to the sides of the casing or tank for guiding the scraper during its-reciprocative movement.

As best shown in Figure 1', transverse rubber strips H) are suitably attached to opposite sides of the transverse blade I for engagement with the bottom floor of thetank to provide a scraping or squeegee action upon reciprocation of the carrier. Horizontal rollers H, carried by bosses l2 provided at the sides of the carrier frame, engage the sides of the tank to relieve friction, and also prevent canting and bind of the scraper. The scraper extends substantially entirely across the bottom wall of the tank and engages the smooth upper face thereof.

For convenient reciprocation of the scraper 5, transverse shafts l3 are journaled in the sides of the casing I adjacent its ends and upper edge. Brackets l4 secured to the exterior of the walls serve as bearings for the shafts. Mounted upon each shaft adjacent the side walls of the casing is a pair of drums 15, over which opposite ends of a cable or flexible connection I6 are wound, the cable being freely looped through ears l1 formed on the carrier frame 6, thus equalizing pull upon both stretches of the cable "to further prevent canting of the scraper during its red ciprocative action. Loosely mounted upon the shafts I3 between the drums l5 and collars l8 are guards I9, which encase the drums.

Secured to the side walls of the case I, adjacent the ends of the tank bottom 4, are brackets 20 provided with lateral webs 2i projecting into the soaking compartment, and provided at their inner ends with flanges 22. Studs 23 carried by the brackets 20 and flanges 22 receive stretches of the cable l6 to provide a substantially horizontal pull for reciprocation of the scraper 5.

As best shown in Figure 2, one end of each of the shafts 13 has secured thereon a clutch collar 24, which is engaged by a crank handle 25 provided with cooperating clutch teeth to impart rotation to the shafts l3 and consequent connection with the accompanying drawings,

structural features of the present invention will be well understood, and the operation will be apparent. The scraper can be alternately moved across the bottom of the soaking tank in opposite directions by selective rotation of the shafts l3 with the crank 25 operatively connected with the shafts exteriorly of the tank. Naturally, uponmovement of the scraper, the squeegee,

formed by the flexible wipers III and engaging the bottom 4 of the soaking tank, will collect and carry the labels deposited thereon to opposite ends of the tank, and, as best shown in Figure 1, a transverse trough 21 is provided at each end of the tank for reception of a removable basket or receptacle 26 into which the labels are delivered. These baskets are arranged below the openings 31, and the baskets 26 may be of any suitable construction, that is, wire mesh or perforated sheet metal, and may be provided with vertical arms 28 terminating at their upper ends in handles 29, whereby the same can be easily removed through the openings 37 in the top of the casing i.

In actual practice, the scraper is operated from time to time to carry the labels off the bottom wall of the tank, so that the same will fall in either one of the baskets. At certain stated periods'of time, such as at the close of a working day, the machine is stopped, and the doors 35 and 36 are opened, and the baskets are quickly removed by raising the doors and moving the baskets through the openings 31. When the baskets are dumped, the same are immediately returned to their normal stationary positions in the casing. As the machine is stopped in its operation, the danger from the hot caustic mist is reduced to a minimum It will thus. be seen that the invention provides for the simple removal and disposition of labels from the soaking compartment, without necessity of draining the tank, as heretofore required. thus maintaining the soaking fluid in a cleanly condition for a maximum period of time.

I claim:

In a bottle washer of the heated jet soaker type, a casing adapted to contain a caustic solution and closed against the egress of the solution and of the mist resultant therefrom, including an elongated submersion tank having a substantially smooth bottom wall, an endless bottle conveyor in said tank having at least a portion of its lower run immersed in said solution for carrying bottles slowly through the solution to soak labels off said bottles, said lower run of the conveyor being arranged in spaced relation to the bottom wall. whereby said labels will gravitate to said bottom wall, a scraper mounted between the lower run of the conveyor and the bottom wall for traveling movement over and substantially throughout the width of said bottom wall for scraping labels off said bottom wall, said scraper traveling substantially from one end of the bottom wall to the other, means for operating the scraper exteriorly of the casing, a normally stationary receptacle positioned in said casing adjacent the bottom wall for receiving the labels scraped off the bottom wall by the scraper, said receptacle being disposed in a plane below the plane of movement of said scraper at one end of its path of movement and beyond the end. of such movement to directly and positively receive the labels from the scraper through gravitational movement of the labels, said casing having an opening through which the receptacle is manually removable, and a movable door for sealing the opening, whereby upon stoppage of the washer the receptacle can be removed by opening of the door.

JOHN R. DOSTAL. 

